E-mail Newsletters Tips For Success

By Akira Terwin

You have heard all the hype and now you want to create an e-mail newsletter campaign that delivers. Here are some tried and trusted tips to help you avoid rookie mistakes:

It’s not a book: This means just stick to necessary text but include more captivating visuals. Also consider breaking things up in your newsletter to smaller more manageable chunks that allow the reader to move quickly between them and stay interested. Knowing that readers like to consume content in little chunks, BuzzFeed does a great job of this.

Target different newsletters to different audiences: To elaborate on the above point, targeting newsletters based on a customer's preference is a powerful tool and allows for constant remarketing based on their specific interests. For example, if you’ve bought Le Creuset products from their site before, Yuppiechef will then send e-mails to you based on the brand and offerings around it.

Clear call to action buttons: It’s important your newsletters are not simply an online catalog, and that it’s clear what actions you want readers to take. In the text, try highlighting important words, such as product benefits and if there’s a discount. Also, make sure to always have a clear button to take people to the page to which you want them to go. In this Ferrari e-mail, for example, although details have not been released about the car, they tap into user interest nonetheless with a button very clearly asking that you go to the site and design the car you want.

Subject lines are key: A good or bad subject line makes all the difference. As a general rule, short subject lines can create intrigue and interest and hence lead to greater open rates. But if you want click-throughs, it’s better to use some specific and punchy subject lines that tell the reader the content of your mail but don’t give everything away. Before even opening, they are now doing so because they know what’s in your mail and want to read it. There’s also software available that allows you to A/B test your subject line. If you have a sizeable base, consider using two very different subject lines (both in content and length) and see how your particular base reacts.

Don’t forget mobile: Up to 50% of e-mail newsletter opens come from mobile so it’s important to make sure your newsletter is optimised. Always test how it looks on the small screen before sending out. Some quick ways to ensure this is to try a single column approach with your layout. Multiple columns will still be visible but will require users to tap and zoom into the content. Also try and make the call to action buttons clear and easy to tap. Here’s a great example from All Star who use a simple design and a very clear call to action button.